Scientific Papers Series A. Agronomy

exceeded 2,000 thou ha, and maximum was
recorded in 2005 (2,475 thou ha). Distribution
on national territory of wheat growing areas
and their share of total grown area have a
certain stability over time. In this respect,
Southern Plain and Dobrudja are highlighted
with an average of 34.3% of the nationwide,
followed by about 20% in Oltenia Plain, 15%
in Western Plain, 12% in Moldova, and 9-10%
in South Hilly Region and in Transylvania
(Epure, 2006; Nitu, 2010).
Figure 2. Wheat growing areas and yields in Romania
(mean values 2003-2010)
By comparison, total wheat production and the
contribution to national production of different
growing areas were highly variable from year
to year, under the influence of temperature and
precipitation conditions. Total production
ranged from 2,486 thou tons in 2003 (an
average of 1,422 kg/ha) and 3,026 thou tons in
2007 (1,540 kg/ha) (years with insufficient
rainfall during wheat vegetation period) to
7,812 thou tones in 2004 (3,402 kg/ha) and
7,180 thou tons in 2008 (3,403 kg/ha) (Roman
et al., 2011).
It can be seen that in the period under review,
agricultural years were of different degree of
favorable for wheat crop and this was reflected
in crop size (and quality). On the other hand,
the diversity of natural conditions in different
Romanian agricultural areas located at the
confluence of large geographical areas and
under the influence of very different climates
(excessive temperate continental climate in the
Eastern part Romania, specifically for Russian
Great Plain; oceanic climate in Western Plain
and Transylvania, specifically for Western
Europe; Mediterranean climate in Banat and
Oltenia regions, specifically for South
Europe), determined that different degree of
favorability of wheat growing regions vary in
the same agricultural year, and as a result, the
share in national wheat yields of wheat
harvested in different regions vary considerably
from one year to another. In this regard, the
greatest variations were found in the Southern
Plain and Dobrudja which contributes an
average of 30.8% to the national yield (3.2%
less than the percentage of wheat acreage), with
variations from only 12% (severe drought in
2003), to 30.1 and 32.7% in 2004, 2007, 2005
and up to 43.1% in 2008 (the two dry were
taken only 1,500 kg/ha in average in the area).
A more stable yield was recorded in
Transylvania (average production of over 2,200
kg/ha in all years), Southern Hilly Region and
even Moldova. Western Plain contributed on
average 21% of the national harvest, therefore
exceeded 6% share of cultivated area, and has
achieved higher production averaged of 3,251
kg/ha (in all the years have resulted over 2,500
kg/ha and in 2004 were harvested 4,059 kg/ha).
The assortment of wheat varieties. Of the
study showed that, in the analysed period in
Romania were grown 123 varieties of wheat, of
which 46 Romanian varieties. It has also been
reported the introduction of new varieties of
Romanian wheat breeders creations (Crina,
Glosa, Dor, Izvor, etc.) that have been fast and
well received by farmers and the increased
tendency to take over foreign varieties (of firms
from Hungary, France, Austria, Serbia, etc.);
some of the new wheat varieties introduced into
culture in Romania were not tested in the
official testing network of the State Institute for
Testing and Recording Varieties (ISTIS) and
not included in the Official Catalogue of
Agricultural Crops Varieties in Romania (Nitu,
2004; Nitu, 2010; National R&D Institute of
Food Bio-Resources, 2003-2010).
Assortment diversity of varieties available to
growers Romanian is well illustrated by the
data in Figure 3. From figure shows that in the
Southern Plain and Dobrudja, and Transylvania
the assortment was formed in 33-41 Romanian
varieties, which were numerically from 42.4 to
43.9% of total cultivated varieties. By
comparison, the extremes were found in
Moldova, with 34 varieties grown in total, of
which 79.4% Romanian varieties, and in the
Western Plain, with 82 varieties, of which only
28% of Romanian varieties.
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